Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1887-01-20

NoWh vh ttVlt 1Vui hlNu HOttt NHu iil
It again" He ended with the corner
OF his mouth twitching little,
John Earring looked at him squarely
with half smile on his face, but Joe
was turning his watch-fob about in his
fingers with his eyes upon IL.
Il was in passion yesterday, sir
and no doubt spoke too sharply," sait
the youth; "but think did not mis-
represent nor scarcely do the subieo
Justice. The wrong and the facts
think remain the same. Your busnes.
methods are not less pure, perhaps,
than those that shape the common
current Of affairs, but wherever the
principle is applied, that 10 take all
one can get Is quito ae legitimate as "a
take only what Is exactly just, and il
seems TO me, this, like poison virus,
runs through all the operations of the
time; II can moi be but corrupting Ia
every one whose hands arc dabbling
in IL. OF course Il turns on what one
may consider honesty. but II seems to
me that It can not be hard to see that
If you take more than an exact recon-
pcnse for your trouble OF buying and
bringing the merchandise TO him who
buys again. you take what does not be-
long to you; when you add indirec-
ton. in however slight a degree, in
order that you may take this illegiti-
mate prOiitit only intensiiies the wrong.
IL seems 90 me you can not but see IL. "
81 thing see one thing clearly, and
that Is that you ought to be n preach
er. said Joel, with dry kind OF
smile.
"No. sir" sal the youth, earnestly,
al can not see that this question has
such tendency as you imply by that
This matter Is a question of doing
right for rights sake. and the man who
Is governed by any other incentive can
not do wholly right for the motive is
wrong. II is a question of being hon
orable, manly and just; why, ii seems
TO me that every man who stands
squarely on the earth in the image Of
God should feel too proud, too
honorable. too respectful of him
self, TO injure any one; to do a mean
ness like n beast; to prey upon his fell
lows, and take what belongs TO them
TO feed himself upon"
Tho book-keeper, who had been
sitting motionless upon his stool with
his head bent down and his pen poised
above figure. took out his handker-
chief and wiped his forehead. Joel sat
still with his face flushing as he looked
at the fob between his thumb and
finger, and John Earling walked up
and down, speaking in kind Of sor-
rowful, passionate way. Joel looked
up as ne finished. "Under YOUR doc
trine how would you expect any body
to get rich?" he asked.
"Men should get rich honestly or not
at all. o that is the cursel the cursel
the curscl The world is polluted by
III The world is full of starvation,
distress and misery from it. This in
sanity, this greed, this hunger, this
worse than foolish desire to have more
than one can ever usel What can there
be in II? Emptiness! Vapor! or hard
ships for those beneath you with
moral rot within your He stopped
before Joel, breathing hard. IL know
am but a boy. sir" he said, "and
perhaps / am immoderate and unwise,
but it hurts me, sir; it stirs me to see
the few rolling in iinery and comforts,
nay, with mountains Of plenty hoaped
up behind them that they can not
use, while the many toll on in
penury and want, stnnted, pressed
down, with cruel narrow limits for
their lives. Ii can not be right. it can
not be right; no amount of pleading
tho rich mans privilege can make il
so. 1t can not but bring trouble in the
end; for we are not bound down as the
poor and miserable are in Europe bv
the iron military rule of Kings; here all
is loose and free, and as the rich and
fabric of our wealth is
unravcled and wound in
great balls before which the rich set
down leaving the masses bare what
think you Is 10 come of il at lastP'
81 don't know rs ever considered
the matter" said Joel, little huskily.
"What is your remedy for this state of
things?"
Honesty; nothing else can compass
it," said John Earling. Honesty
Il universal. Il seems % me, won Il
allay, well-nigh all the troubles of the
world
II it was practical It mightr'
1T is practical! The perfectly incon-
wisdom of that which has dis
played itself in the making Of the ma
chinery Of worlds. and all the beauti-
ful and unutterable things that ill
them, never made the most reasonable,
the most beautiful, the most natural
principle that operates upon them an
impractical thing. Ii is dishonesty
sir, that is impractical and unwisc.
for il never brought any man aught
but trouble in the end, and hardship
for those who are the victims OF il. /
do not wish to be rude. sir; | do not
wish 90 say that had not ought to say.
for you have been kind to me. and in
my heart OF hearts / am grateful to
you. but | can not willingly bc an in
strument TO injurc others with, for il
seems TO me that out Of self-rcycrence.
4 for no other nobler cause. every man
should keep his motives and his prac-
tee pure.
''Isupposc So" said Joel, taking out
his knife and beginning 10 pare his
broad iinger-nails. "IIave YOU got any
dea what you are going to doP'
II have gone 10 work in the Office Of
Bower q WoOdman. ! have thought
Tor a long time l should ultimately
enter the law If / could bring it about
Joel colored \ little. "Wcll," lie |
said, pulling himself straight in his |
chair, you certainly have the gift Of |
gah, and | guess that is what law
yer wants; but when you get there
with your all-wool superiine honesty. |
you will get left You mind what / |
tell you, you will get left ] don't be. |
love any man can be as honest q.
yon represent and ever amount TO a
bawbecl"
"Ihatdepends altogotherbywhat proc
sss you estimate mar. If he amounts |
70 much or little, just in proportion as
be rel resents dollars and acres, which |
z villainous, ignoble measurement, |
Why, then, your assertion might have |
some forcei but mans worth lies IN |
Il 4